The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council has issued a comprehensive clarification on postgraduate registration for MS, MD, MDS, MPhil, PhD, FCPS, MCPS and diploma qualifications awarded by Pakistani universities and the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. The Council has harmonized the process so that postgraduate registration decisions now depend primarily on the date of induction or enrolment in training relative to the promulgation of the PM&DC Act, 2022.
Following a review of training sites not recognized under Section 25 of the PM&DC Act, 2022, and the limited time-bound amnesty previously provided, the Postgraduate Medical Education Committee resolved on January 7, 2026 that qualifications obtained from unrecognized training sites which do not meet the amnesty deadline of December 31, 2023 cannot be registered. The Secretariat has been directed to process pending applications strictly in line with the law and Council decisions, ensuring consistency in postgraduate registration.
The Council reiterated its earlier stance that the PM&DC Act, 2022 does not operate retrospectively. Candidates enrolled or qualified before January 16, 2023 will be considered under the legal framework that applied prior to the Act, while those enrolled after that date must show that their qualification, awarding institution and training site are recognized under Section 25 to be eligible for registration.
Recognition of both the postgraduate qualification and the training institute remains mandatory, with inspection and formal approval of training sites prescribed by statute. Applications originally submitted under the repealed PMC Act, 2020 will not be processed under the current framework and must be refiled in compliance with the PM&DC Act, 2022. A limited one-time amnesty was granted only for certain cases that met specified deadlines and conditions.
Further decisions from June 13, 2024 and August 6, 2024 clarified that the one-time amnesty for MD, MS, MDS, MPhil, PhD and diploma qualifications applies solely to candidates whose final examinations were held on or before December 31, 2023, with the examination date recorded on the degree serving as the eligibility benchmark. Separately, postgraduate basic sciences qualifications from universities recognised by the Higher Education Commission will be eligible for registration if admission occurred on or before September 27, 2022.
PM&DC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj said the Council will ensure equal treatment for all specialists in accordance with the law and stressed that the measures aim to protect merit, maintain uniform standards and uphold the quality and integrity of medical education and specialist training across Pakistan. The Council reaffirmed its commitment to transparent governance, regulatory compliance and continued strengthening of postgraduate medical education nationwide.
